It was October 2023, and I had booked 2 nights in a studio in Lodi to attend a very special…read moreoccasion, our niece's wedding that was to be in Stockton, the lovely chapel at UOP. I had hunted for atypical lodging, hoping to find something away from the typical Stockton hotel offerings that would also not wipe out my bank account. I found this property using an app called Agoda, and it was reasonably priced.
The property is located in a very rural area just south of the small California town of Lodi. It was surrounded by vast farmlands, orchards, vineyards, great oaks, and the 99 freeway (which happily you can not hear). Very scenic, safe, and low key.
First impression. From the streetside view, there was a cute, non-pretentious farmhouse on a huge plot of land with a lush front lawn, graced with ancient trees. The entrance to the property requires first getting out of your car, manually opening a huge swinging gate on rollers, then rolling it back again once you've passed through. We had to drive past the main house, because our studio was on the backside of the property. Our exclusive entrance was a bit difficult to figure out at first, a small wooden gate that appeared to have had a sign on it once-upon-a-time. And once we got inside the back gate, the large backyard was not pretty. Disappointingly minimalist, it consisted of lots of dry grassy areas, a covered, cemented patio with a couple of old patio tables and chairs, and a small portable bbq. According to their Rules of the House, they make it quite clear that their property is not to be used as a "party" house. No big gatherings with outdoor summer bbqs. This was solely for the guests themselves, with warnings of $$$ penalties for not abiding. My guess is they have security cameras to enforce their rules.
Ours was called Studio V. This room accommodates 2 adults only. It is a spacious, very clean room, furnished with only one small upholstered chair, a desk and wooden chair, and a cafe table with two metal chairs. Not particularly cozy or comfortable. As far as other amenities, there was a tv that was actually useless, a tiny refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, hair dryer, a wall mounted air conditioner unit, a remote controlled ceiling fan, and an electric heater that resembled a small fireplace. There is a walk-in shower with a stationary shower head and a large walk-in closet.
Unfortunately, our arrival did not go smoothly. First, we had a problem getting into our room. There is no one manning the property on site, just an informative email sent to me with details on how to get in. The room has a separate outdoor entry, and was supposed to be left unlocked. The cleaning lady apparently forgot and locked our door, after laying the key on the desk inside. Ooops. What made it worse was that I did not have the manager's, Gary's, phone number. That essential info was also supposed to be found on the desk, yes, inside our (locked) room. It was sheer luck that the front cottage was occupied and that guest came to our rescue, gave me a number to call...which went straight to voicemail. But all's well that ends well...Gary called me back after a short wait, apologizing profusely, and guided me on how to access a spare key in a lock box. Thus, we were "in", yay, found our key and the instructions and The House Rules, right where they said they would be.
And then, there it was - a giant 4-poster bed looming in the middle of the room. This may have been a trend-setting bed set at some time in history, but for me, a diminutive 5'2" with a bad knee, I really could have used a pair of stilts or a full body slingshot to get me into it. My husband is not that much taller. That said, the bed ended up being quite comfortable once you figured out how to launch yourself into it. But the terror for us aged shorties was real each time we got in or out.
So, not done yet. There was one more challenge we had to face. As in the poorly planned outdoor lighting. While not a problem during daylight hours, once it got dark, it was another story. There were no driveway lights until you got up to the front house, just lots of deep shadows from the surrounding ancient trees. As I walked back to the house after closing the front gate, it was so pitch black that I could barely see the ground until I reached the front house. And once I passed the house, it was darkness all over again. Thank goodness for the flashlight feature on my phone to get me to our back entry. We later discovered there were security lights that should have detected our movement, but the most critical ones only detected us once we literally stood underneath them. No bueno.
While there were many well thought out amenities for this secluded little studio, in all honesty, it was not as idyllic as I had envisioned.
I can look back on this now, and chuckle. But for all those reasons, I would have to say I would have to take a pass on a 2nd visit.
